Confessions of a Flashpacker

I have a confession to make. I am (going to be) part of the movement of budget-travelers, called ‘Flashpackers’.
Flashpackers are those people in the middle of the hostel who whip out their laptop whilst drinking a latte, or that guy who’s at the Great Ocean Bight trying to get signal on his iPhone so he can tweet how amazing the 12 Apostles are in-real life.

It appears that flashpackers are generally put into two categories – the 30-to-40-year-olds who need a break from their careers and have saved up a decent sum of money to travel in-style or the university student aged teen who seems to travel with more technology than clothes!

My definition of flash packing combines the two terms.Flashpackernoun : used to describe a person who travels with an excessive amount of technology to not only record their own experiences but share them with friends, family, the world… Commonly used objects include smartphones (iPhones/blackberries), laptop/netbook, cameras (DSLR, high-end point&shoot…), and video recorders. Often found trying to pick up Wi-Fi signal through the country of travel.

Seeing as I have only 30-days until I head off on my trip, I’ve started to buy bits and pieces I will need and they are quickly mounting up fast. It’s surprising when working out the sheer amount of technology I want/need/have convinced myself I want to bring. This is my flashpackers list so far:

Please take into consideration that I will be working as a radio specialist at a Summer Camp as well as that I am a journalism student keen to expand on my skills whilst away. 🙂

Travel Bug FlashPacker List

MacBook Pro + extra battery/mouse

DSLR Camera (unsure if I will be bringing mine from home or if purchasing one in the US (come on Aussie dollar! Catch up to the US dollar!!!) + extra batteries

Point-and Shoot Camera + extra battery

Cam-corder + extra battery (for video posts!)

iPhone

Spare unlocked phone (for International sim cards)

2x Spare SD card

External Hard-drive

Apple Adaptor Kit (for iPhone and MacBook)

General adaptors (US/UK/EU – for other electronics)

Tripod

That’s a lot of gear for not really much! (and I have a feeling I’ve missed things off the list.)

So, is all of this gear really necessary? Is there a way I can cut it out? I mean, I could use my Point-and-Shoot or DSLR as a vide recorder, but it doesn’t have the same quality. Or I could use my Video-camera as a point-and-shoot camera, but its doesn’t have the flexibility.

I actually believe that I will find a use for all of these pieces of equipment + more that I plan on buying along the way (my eyes are set on a decent flash and a new lens for my DSLR).

What do you usually travel with? Are there any gear recommendations or gear I could ditch?

This series of posts will be updated when new information is available.

Nicole is a frequent flying (sometimes) freelance writer with a love of aviation, cultural travel, and affordable luxury. When not studying towards her Masters or planning the next adventure she works as Digital Coordinator at one of Australia's top sports teams.

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